New Kid
by Jerry Craft
14 jurisdictions · Banned 2021-2025 · Published
New Kid is Jerry Craft's 2019 Newbery Medal-winning graphic novel about a Black seventh-grader at a predominantly white private school, banned or restricted in 14+ U.S. jurisdictions.
Why it was banned
The book was removed from Texas's Katy Independent School District in 2021 after parent complaints accused it of teaching critical race theory. It has been removed from Clay County, Florida, and other districts under similar reasoning. The book had been widely considered politically uncontroversial before the post-2020 wave of bans.
Cited reasons
- critical race theory framing
- racial content
Primary states
Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania
Why it matters
New Kid was the first graphic novel to win the Newbery Medal, awarded in 2020. Craft writes from the experience of being the Black kid at a private school, depicting the daily microaggressions and identity negotiations without melodrama. The book's banning, given its gentle tone and middle-grade audience, became a case study in how broadly the post-2020 banning movement targets any book about race.
Themes
- middle grade
- graphic novel
- Black boys
- private school
Awards
- Newbery Medal (2020)
- Coretta Scott King Author Award
- Kirkus Prize
Where to buy
The Ledger recommends Black-owned booksellers. Each stocks this title or can order it.
- MahoganyBooksNational Harbor, Maryland · Founded
Independent bookstore specializing in books written for, by, and about people of the African diaspora.
- Marcus BooksOakland, California · Founded
The oldest independent Black-owned bookstore in the United States, named for political activist Marcus Garvey.
- Harriett's BookshopPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania · Founded
Named for Harriet Tubman, focusing on women authors, artists, and activists.
- Loyalty BookstoreWashington, D.C. · Founded
Black, queer, and woman-owned bookstore with locations in Washington, D.C. and Silver Spring, Maryland.
The Ledger may earn commission on affiliate links. All commissions route to Black-owned booksellers.
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Documented by The Ledger. A record of what Black America built and what was taken.
Book cover via Open Library. Editorial use under fair use.